News

iPod blamed for teenager’s lightning strike

By LC Angell ● Thursday, July 6, 2006

A 17-year-old Colorado teenager blames his iPod for being struck by lightning while mowing the lawn. Jason Bunch says the current from the strike traveled through the headphone wires of his iPod, burning his ears, cheeks and side. The Denver post reports: “The wounds follow the line of his iPod, from his ears down his right side to his hip, where he was carrying the device. The iPod has a hole in the back, and the earbuds dissolved into green threads. Bunch and his mother believe the iPod acted as an antenna, drawing the lightning to him. There were tall pine trees nearby that didn’t get hit.” Weather experts, however, say that is unlikely. “There is no scientific evidence to show that lightning is ‘attracted’ to items like an iPod. However, if someone wearing earbuds is struck, current may travel along the wires into the ears,” said Gregory Stewart of the Denver-based Lightning Reference Center. “There are documented cases of lightning traveling through wired telephones and killing the users.” [via Gizmodo]